


Lost in the Woods

by JehBeeEh



Series: Ahead by a Century [46]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Fluff, M/M, Road Trips, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Gestures, Romantic Steve Rogers, Sweet Steve Rogers, adorableness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:42:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23486248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JehBeeEh/pseuds/JehBeeEh
Summary: “Hey you! What are you doing here?” Tony asked as he got up from his desk and made his way towards Steve.The blond let himself in the office, not bothering to close the door behind him. “I came to kidnap you.” Steve smiled sweetly at his husband's now very confused expression. When Tony reached him, Steve grabbed both of his hands in his own before kissing him on the forehead.“You know, you aren’t supposed to tell me before you kidnap me. Pretty sure creepy vans and ski masks should be involved,” Tony mused, kissing Steve on the lips, the blond wrapping their joint hands lightly behind Tony's back and pulling him in closer.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Ahead by a Century [46]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1514069
Comments: 19
Kudos: 146





	Lost in the Woods

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, we have been watching lots of Frozen 2. No, i do not regret my title choice. Yes, I love me some 80s hair band rock. Not even sorry ;)
> 
> A very special thank you to Nebula and Mairi who talked me down a ledge with this one, and are basically the reason the previous fic happened. This one had been written for a while, and it didn't make sense. And all because I didn't want to write them having a rough time. It all worked out, and they really are just fine, and thanks to them you have this fic that I almost scrapped. Thank you :)

He stood outside his husband's office for a good 10 minutes, going over his plan, wondering if it was too much. _It's silly, really,_ he thought, _it's just a weekend away no need to overthink it_. But he still felt like he overdid it somehow. Tony's assistant kept glancing his way, at first confused – she even reminded him it was okay if he went in after he stood there for a full minute not moving – then amused, and now she just seemed annoyed. The poor girl must have thought Steve was going crazy. He turned to her with an embarrassed smile.

“He's still not on the phone?”

“Nope,” she replied, her amused smirk gracing her lips again, making Steve relax. “He’s still free.”

Steve just nodded before thinking to himself he really was being foolish, it would be fun. Tony would love it. He knocked on the door and opened it before Tony had a chance to reply, and before he himself could run off and cancel everything. He poked his head in just as Tony looked up, seeing his expression change from frustration to that happy smile he got whenever Steve managed to surprise him, which wasn’t often enough.

“Hey you! What are you doing here?” Tony asked as he got up from his desk and made his way towards Steve.

The blond let himself in the office, not bothering to close the door behind him. “I came to kidnap you.” Steve smiled sweetly at his husband's now very confused expression. When Tony reached him, Steve grabbed both of his hands in his own before kissing him on the forehead.

“You know, you aren’t supposed to tell me before you kidnap me. Pretty sure creepy vans and ski masks should be involved,” Tony mused, kissing Steve on the lips, the blond wrapping their joint hands lightly behind Tony's back and pulling him in closer.

“Well, I’m not supposed to tell anyone if I kidnap you, but Pepper and Nathalie know about it. Had to make sure my timing was good and all. And, I was assured you could leave now.”

“More like 10 minutes ago,” they heard from the hallway, as Nathalie teased Steve.

“Colour me intrigued,” Tony pecked Steve again before quickly going to his desk and grabbing a stack of papers and his jacket. “Here we go, all the papers Pepper needed, all signed and reviewed. Only this one needs to be looked over again, I can do that when I’m back tomorrow, I don’t think this is a rush?”

“Not a rush, mister Stark. We will see you later, have fun!” She winked at Steve, not betraying the actual timeline of Tony's return.

Steve led his husband to the private elevator that led to the penthouse, eliciting a brow raise from Tony but not much else. They held hands, both quiet during the short elevator ride. When they reached the penthouse Steve guided Tony to the bedroom, quickly cutting the brunette off when he tried to get his hands on Steve’s jacket.

“Nu-huh! We don't have time for that now,” Steve laughed, as Tony was still making grabby hands at him. The blond pointed to the walk-in closet as he sat on the bed. “Get changed, we're going to be in the car for a while, so you don't need to be in a suit.”

Tony pouted as he did what Steve asked, grabbing some jeans, a t-shirt, and a hoodie, holding them up for Steve's approval. He got changed and grabbed an extra jacket, pulling out his phone as he headed towards the bed.

“I’ll let Happy know we're on our way down,” he said as he slotted himself between Steve's thighs.

“You don't need to do that, actually. Come on, beautiful. We have a long drive ahead of us.”

Tony just looked at him, one side of his mouth curling up, amused, his brow lightly furrowed, questioning but never forming the question out loud. He leaned down just enough to bring their lips together, Steve unable to resist the smile blooming on his own face as he kissed Tony. 

They headed back to the elevator, this time towards the garage, Steve's arm wrapped around Tony's waist, the brunette with his hand in the back pocket of Steve's jeans.

“Why are you groping me like we're teenagers?” Steve asked, kissing Tony's head.

“I just like your ass. And, I dunno, feeling like being close to you. I’m curious about this little plan of yours.”

“You’ll have to wait and see,” Steve shrugged. “It'll be fun.”

The elevator chimed and Steve pulled Tony to the awaiting SUV in the middle of the garage. He opened the passenger door for his husband, helping him in, and they set off. Steve was happy he decided to leave early afternoon, they had no traffic heading out of the city. They listened to music, chatted about their days. Steve had grabbed on to Tony's hand when they'd left the city and was still holding it an hour later, as Tony nodded off next to him.

They drove on until the early evening, Steve managing to minimize the amount of stops they had to make in order to let Tony sleep as much as possible. The past week had been quieter than the months before, and they’d both settled into that familiarity with open arms. It was hard to forget how just a week ago Steve was wondering if their relationship could even survive to the weekend given how tense and unhappy they both were. While the blow up it had caused was less than pleasant, it had been necessary, leading them to realize they needed the step back to regroup. For the millionth time, Steve thought to himself how he didn’t regret their decision to start trying to expand their family for one second, and looked forward to continuing with the process when the time felt right, he couldn’t deny the fact that they both needed the break. They needed to reconnect and spend time alone, just being together. It had been a stark reminder to not let their relationship deteriorate the way it had. That, at the core of it all, they had needed to be strong together for anything else to work. Steve had promised himself he would do everything in his power to make sure they wouldn’t be in that situation again.

“Where are we?” Tony asked when Steve finally parked the truck at a lookout point along the highway.

“Get out of the car, you'll see,” Steve smiled over to him.

Steve made his way around and took Tony's hand, guiding him towards the trunk of the SUV. He opened the trunk with the press of a button on the key fob and beamed when Tony spotted the picnic basket in the middle of a sea of pillows and blankets.

“What the heck…” Tony let out under his breath. “Steve, what's all this for? We're on the side of the road, we can't exactly go out for a picnic here.”

“I know. We are going to have a quick bite to eat right here, ‘cause I know you and you are going to get hangry soon. So, picnic in the car first, watch the sunset, and then finish our drive, and have a proper dinner then.”

Steve climbed in the trunk and held a hand out to help Tony in, before he started emptying the picnic basket. Tony settled himself sat next to the blond, fluffing and arranging pillows below him, and a blanket over his legs. Steve offered him a plate he had started stacking with some of Tony's favourite cheeses and meats, knowing his husband was a sucker for charcuterie boards.

“I can't wait anymore; I have to ask… what's with all this exactly?” Tony asked as he popped a piece of brie and apple wrapped in prosciutto in his mouth.

“I just wanted us to have a weekend away. We came back from Europe and things have been getting crazier and crazier, and then last week… I just needed to be alone with you. May is the one that reminded me that we needed some time for ourselves, and I realized that’s what was the hardest in all of this. That it didn’t feel like we were still a team. I know that probably sounded so dumb –“

“It didn’t. Not for a second,” Tony whispered, making Steve feel much better about their little getaway.

“I spoke to Pepper and she guaranteed me you had nothing pressing going on, and Nathalie cleared what you did have. I found a little cottage in Stowe and figured a weekend away in Vermont sounded pretty damn good. Plus, it's our one-year anniversary next week, and I thought surprising you would be extra fun.”

Tony looked at his husband with such awe and love, Steve had to look away. The blond felt Tony shift next to him, getting closer, before he nestled himself between Steve's legs, pressing his back to Steve's chest and grabbing the blonde's arms to wrap around himself. “Thank you, for all of this.” He rested his head on Steve's shoulder, looking out at the sunset. 

Steve didn’t say anything, just pulled him tighter against his chest and rested his head against Tony's until the sun had fully departed behind the horizon. They looked at the first stars shining over the dark navy sky. Steve tilted his head so he could kiss his husband's forehead, the bridge of his nose. He rubbed their noses together sweetly before finally pressing their lips together, slow, unhurried. “How about we finish our drive, huh?” he asked when he pulled away.

“Yeah,” Tony whispered.

They tidied the back of the car before Steve walked Tony back to the passenger seat, still wrapped in the blanket he’d been using, kissing him again before closing the door. They got back on the road, Steve setting the GPS for the last portion of their drive.

“Has it really been a year already?” Tony asked as he looked over to Steve, the blond offering up his hand again and Tony sliding his palm inside Steve's.

“I know, eh? I had kinda forgotten too, until I saw the date and realized I was in California a year ago, which made me realize the one-year anniversary of us meeting was going to be next week.”

“We can go out for dinner. I’m sorry I forgot.”

“Don’t apologize. I forgot too. We'll just make the most of this weekend together.”

They turned on a small gravel road, finishing the drive leading them to their home away from home for the weekend. 

“Steve…” Tony breathed out as the small cottage came into view, no other words leaving his mouth.

They got out of the truck, Steve grabbing their bags from the backseat while Tony started up the stairs.

“I know it’s not much, but it was kinda hard to pass up a treehouse,” Steve replied as he joined Tony on the balcony. While the cottage wasn’t a treehouse per se, it was built up and around a tree, and Steve loved it the moment he saw it. The balcony had a gorgeous view of a lake on the side opposite where they’d arrived. It wasn’t as big as what they were used to, but it was cozy and had everything they needed for a weekend away.

Tony walked around to look at the lake, while Steve quickly dropped their bags inside. The moon reflected perfectly over the calm surface, stars covering the sky above. A fire had been started in the gas fire pit, and the hot tub was bubbling away, just as Steve had asked, the owners being more than happy to help him make this the perfect getaway for them.

Tony turned to look at his husband, a bright smile on his face. “This place is beautiful, thank you for planning this.”

“You haven’t even seen the inside yet, come on,” Steve answered softly, as he held out his hand. He led the brunette in the cottage, a bit of his initial worry melting away when he saw Tony's reaction. “I know it isn’t big or fancy, but I checked and the coffee maker is almost as good as the one we have at home, and the loft has a king sized bed. The owners were incredibly sweet when I explained it was for our anniversary and I asked if they could help set up dinner for us. Thought we could eat, and then have dessert outside and maybe a dip in the hot tub?”

“That's perfect, Steve. _You're_ perfect, sweetheart. Thank you,” Tony replied, wrapping his arms around Steve's waist and hugging him tightly.

They settled down for dinner in the small eat-in kitchen, Tony rubbing his foot up and down Steve's leg as they ate. Steve's mind supplied him memories from their first date, once again baffled by how they got here in just one year together, but not wishing to be anywhere else. 

They grabbed blankets and headed back to the balcony when they were done, Steve producing a bag of marshmallows, cookies and chocolates to make s'mores for dessert. They laughed as Tony managed to burn every single marshmallow he tried to roast, Steve quickly taking over before they ran out. When they were all sugared out, Steve wrapped a blanket around himself, sat on one of the large Adirondack chairs and made grabby hands at Tony. The brunette obliged, curling up in a ball on his lap, head resting on Steve’s shoulder, as the blond wrapped the blanket around both of them as they settled by the fire.

“You have marshmallow stuck in your beard,” Steve chuckled as he kissed his husband, the sticky fluff coating his top lip.

“Who says it isn’t stuck in yours?!” Tony exclaimed as he poked Steve's side, making him laugh even more.

They kissed and snuggled, enjoying the view and the fire, letting the soft sounds around them take over instead of the usual busy noises of the city they'd gotten so used to. They melted into each other's embrace more, relaxing with every breath. Moments passed that felt like hours before Steve spoke.

“I will forever be thankful that you were on that plane a year ago Tony, more than you can ever imagine. I hadn't felt like myself in so long before I met you. And, even though it wasn't always easy, and it has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Thank you for asking me out, and giving me a chance, and not giving up on us when I know it must have felt like that would be easier than anything else sometimes.”

Tony smiled fondly at him, pulled him down for a kiss, languid and easy, but still filled with all that passion and desire Steve had felt that first time they'd kissed outside his home. “Thank you for not listening to Barnes and coming on that date with me,” he replied with a smirk as Steve laughed again.

“Well, the good news is, no one is here to cock block you tonight.” 

“That's a really nice thought.” Tony resumed kissing Steve, neither of them making a move to get back inside and head to the bedroom. They just enjoyed their lips on each other's, their tongues slowly exploring the other's mouth, like they'd so many times now, but with no expectations, no rush, no roaming. Just their lips moving perfectly together, reconnecting in a way both of them needed more than they’d realized until then.

When Tony started shivering lightly against him, Steve pulled back just enough to be able to speak, asking him if he wanted to move inside, the brunette nodding in response.

“Steve?” Tony started, his voice unusually quiet. “Thank you, for not giving up on me either. You are right. The past year has been something else, and all over the place, but it’s also been one of the happiest of my life. I know I can be a lot sometimes… just, thank you.”

Steve pulled Tony in for a kiss, more passionate this time, but still unhurried. He smiled fondly at his husband before replying. “I meant it, you know, on our wedding day. You will forever be my always, Tony. No matter what, babe. Last week made me realize that I have not been great at following those vows I made though. I got so caught up in everything else happening that I let _us_ fall on the back burner. I don’t want that to happen again. I had promised to be by your side and protect you, and I feel like I didn’t do that in the last few months. I promise I’ll do better.”

Tony ran his fingers down the side of Steve’s face, curling them behind his neck and rubbing his thumb along Steve’s jaw, studying him like he couldn’t believe the blond what the blond was suggesting. “That was on both of us. I pushed you away because I didn’t want you to get hurt and be sad. I thought I was protecting you in the process, but it only pushed us further apart. The fact that we see that and we’re able to recognize where we went wrong is great, I think. But, Steve, this isn’t just on you. This relationship is a two-person thing, and I need to do better too. I’d said I’d always choose us, and yet, I didn’t really do that did I? We’ll _both_ work at it, together this time. We’re learning and that’s the important part.”

They were both quiet for a beat, taking in each other’s words, knowing everything had been said for now, at peace with where they were. Wordlessly, Steve stood, lifting his husband in his arms in the process, the only sound coming from the brunette laughing at being carried into their little weekend hideaway, where the blond wasted no time in reconnecting with him in every way he could think to show his husband.

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, their little roadtrip ;) As the intro stated, it almost got deleted... As did 5 others in the process, but it all came together, and I think even going forward I have a better idea what is to come for them (or how it'll get there - cause I have basically the 'end' of this series written already, and a couple other amazing scenes that I know you will love and might be anticipating too.)
> 
> Thank you all so much for reading along. You may have noticed I posted a couple silly one-shots yesterday, and it was so fun to get so many comments and kudos on them, but I also realized how incredibly lucky I am to have my loyal readers of this AU, and I am so beyond thankful that you follow this little world that I created... I can't properly put it into words, but I truly am thankful, and every comment makes me smile. I love to hear what you think, like and dislike, and what you hope for them along the way. Truly, I could not be more excited to see all your names pop up in my inbox.
> 
> Have a great weekend, friends!! Off to start writing the next one, which has been simmering in my brain for a few days, now that I've gotten all the other WIPs out of my way. I hope you'll like it as much as it excites me :)


End file.
